


here you'll find my heart and i

by bisousniall



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 23:33:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1666547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisousniall/pseuds/bisousniall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall's claustrophobia leads to a chance meeting and a missed connection with fellow commuter Liam on the London Underground.</p>
            </blockquote>





	here you'll find my heart and i

**Author's Note:**

> I need to send a huge thanks to three important people: [Any](http://archiveofourown.org/users/cmdf), who helped me start and encouraged me to actually finish, [Lindsay](http://archiveofourown.org/users/icecreamsocialist) who was a perfectly harsh and thorough beta even though she doesn't love Niam lol, and [Kati](http://katizzz.tumblr.com/) who made this believably British, which is super important because London is an essential element in this fic.
> 
> Also, it was based after [this post](http://bisousniall.tumblr.com/post/75455823370/dazy-laze-awkwardvagina-awkwardvagina-so) on tumblr which is so incredibly NIAM it had to be written. So, this is dedicated to all my Niam fans, because we don't get nearly enough fic!
> 
> Title is from Come Back To Camden by Morrissey.

The first time Niall experienced claustrophobia on the Tube was, naturally, during the evening rush hour. He had transferred trains, trapped himself in the middle of a huge crowd, and suddenly couldn’t breathe. He knew he didn’t like crowds, but it had never felt so overwhelming before. Suddenly he felt light-headed and couldn’t stop gasping for air, the mingling of perfume, cheap Lynx and half of London’s dirty shoes overwhelming him in the humid, un-airconditioned station. Niall took a few stumbling steps as he tried to get himself under control, but his vision began to blur and he passed out, knocking into several people as he collapsed to the ground.

When he blinked back into consciousness, he was on a stretcher wearing an oxygen mask with two paramedics leaning over him. After a five-hour wait in A&E, the doctor suggested he go on anti-anxiety pills for future train trips. He took their advice, plus a three-mile walk to the chemist for his prescription, before venturing back into the Underground.

After a few months of taking the meds for his daily commutes, and futilely trying to plan bus routes to his job, he was finally able to get on the Tube without them. He still didn’t enjoy it: the noise, the pushy people, everyone wanting to get to wherever they were headed in a timely fashion. It was a horrifying yet necessary evil of his day.

Most days he was up early enough for a relaxed morning, which usually included a quick shower, proper breakfast, the morning’s sport highlights, and a leisurely walk to the Tube. However, this particular morning, Niall was running late. A few too many pints down at The Camden Head the night before left him waking up drowsy, slightly hungover, and late. Very late. He forwent his usual breakfast for a shower, if only to get the smell of Carlsberg off his skin. Fifteen minutes later, he was running out the door with his hair still slightly wet and one of Harry’s granola bars swiped from the counter.

The journey to his transfer at Euston went well-- it was the transfer to the Victoria line where it usually went to shit. He hated running up and then down two flights of stairs in order to make the train on time. It was shit on a regular day, but after having to rush out of his house without a proper breakfast, it was complete and utter shite.

Niall’s subsequent hangover and the disorienting beat of the crowd led to clumsiness, which led to him tripping near the top of the first flight of stairs. He braced himself with one hand as he went down hard, smacking one knee on the edge of a step. As he doubled over, legs pushed around him, not acknowledging him, but stepping around his prone form as they went mindlessly on with their routines. All he could do was laugh, so he did, hysterically loud laughter that made his arms weak. He knew he looked like an absolute moron and people were probably staring, but really nothing could be more embarrassing than passing out and needing a damn paramedic.

There was a loud ding and the woman’s voice announced “ _the next train arriving at Platform 5 is a Victoria Line train to Brixton: one minute._ " Just as he was about to make an attempt at pushing himself to his feet, he felt a hand on his back.

“You alright there?” The man grabbed Niall’s arm and helped haul him upright. Niall was still laughing, quite manically by this point, but he managed to choke out a “thank you.” Niall glanced up to take a good look at his rescuer. He had a very concerned expression, his strong brow furrowed and  head tilted down, but very warm, brown eyes. Just the type of person you’d expect to rescue someone from being trampled by other hurried, less empathetic commuters.

“Are you hurt?” He asked.

Niall’s laughter had calmed to a chuckle at this point, and he shook his head no. The man smiled kindly and placed a hand on Niall’s shoulder. “I think your train is almost here. Be more careful in the future.”

Niall said a quick thank you again before turning to where the second flight of stairs was.

“Have a good day!” the man called. Niall glanced over his shoulder and gave the man a quick wave before he disappeared in the crowd of people.

There were no seats left, so Niall had to stand, clinging tightly onto the pole, slightly concerned that with his luck, he’d end up toppling over. He was eager to text Harry about the incident, but his phone never got any service on the Tube so he played Candy Crush, impatiently waiting for his ride in the stuffy carriage to be over.

He scaled the steps in the Green Park station much more carefully, and breathed a sigh of relief and fresh air when he finally made it outside. He immediately grabbed his phone and sent some quick texts off to Harry as he walked the couple blocks to his work.

 

The rest of Niall’s day was uneventful, consisting mainly of drinking six cups of tea to keep himself awake and, consequently, several trips to the toilet. Maybe, only a few times, Niall had caught himself losing focus when he thought about the bloke from the train station that morning. He kept remembering details about the man, like his warm hand on Niall’s back and his soothing voice. Niall was just getting off the phone with the South location of White Cube when his mobile vibrated loudly on his desk with a text from Harry.

_**Niall!!! Is this your tube boy????** _

****

Niall’s stomach somersaulted. He read over the clip about ten times before he could even process it. How many men wearing white dress shirts with rolled up sleeves tripped up the stairs at Euston every day?

He called Harry back on his work phone, still holding the text open on his iPhone.

“Beloved Media London, this is Harold Styles speaking, how may I help you?”

“Harold Styles, why are you wasting time on Craigslist rather than working?”

“You got my text! Isn’t that insane? I found it in Missed Connections.”

Niall shook his head. “Can’t be my guy. No way.”

“Niall…” Harry trailed off. Niall could hear the exasperation in his voice, and he knew Harry was probably rolling his eyes. “This is definitely, one hundred percent the guy from the train. Was he fit?”

“I don’t really know, barely remember what he looked like.” Lies. The truth was, the man’s eyes, smile, warm hand and interesting accent (somewhere West Midlands, maybe Birmingham or Wolverhampton) had been in and out of Niall’s head all day. More than once Niall had caught himself zoning out while thinking about him. Niall’s stomach somersaulted at the idea of his rescuer thinking about him enough to be posting about it on Craigslist.

“Well, fit or not, I think you should contact him and buy him a drink at least. He _did_ rescue you.”

“Yeah, alright. Go back to work Harold.”

**

Niall didn’t actually end up doing anything about the Craigslist ad until later that evening,  after much harassment from Harry to just do it already. He typed up a quick reply on his laptop while Harry sat behind him, reading over his shoulder.

_Hey, i think i’m th guy from euston station? i mean, i trippd goin up the steps there today nd someone helped me up. and i couldn’t stop laughing_

“Your spelling is atrocious,” Harry admonished. Niall elbowed him sharply, a bit rougher than he intended. “Ouch, bro! That hurt.”

“Sorry, ‘m a bit nervous.”

“It’ll be fine, you get on with everyone. I’ve gotta run though, meeting up with Zayn for a bit.”

“Alright, tell him I said hi.”

 

Niall got a reply about twenty minutes later, his phone vibrating with an email notification on his bedside table.

 _with blond hair???????????_ was all the message said. Niall laughed, typed out a quick reply.

_yeh thats me . clumsy blond with the rolled up shirt sleeves !_

The guy replied much quicker this time, Niall’s phone vibrating seconds after he puts it back down.

_oh my godddddd i didnt think any1 would reply!!!! my mate louis convinced me 2 post it._

_think our mates would get on , my flat mate harold was the one who found th post ! he figures i should invite you out fr a thankyou drink !_

Niall had to wait a bit longer for the next reply, leaving him antsy and obsessively checking his phone. Finally it vibrated.

_do you fancy a pint?_

_love a pint_

 

**

After they sent a few more messages, and exchanged mobile numbers, Niall finally learned that his rescuer was named Liam, and that he’d only lived in London for a couple months. So when Liam asked where he’d suggest to go for a pint, Niall blurted out Chequers Tavern, which wasn’t a bad shout. Only a street away from the White Cube and he’d been there a few times after work with coworkers, it was a nice little pub. Niall got there a few minutes early and grabbed a couple stools up by the bar and ordered his standard pint of Carlsberg. He couldn’t stop tapping his fingers on the bar counter, so he decided to occupy himself with his phone.

 

Harry was useless sometimes. Niall almost didn’t even notice when Liam walked in, too busy swirling the dregs of his first pint in the bottom of his glass and staring at his phone. Luckily Liam seemed to recognize him and made his way over to where Niall was seated at the bar.

“Niall, is that you?”

“Liam! How are you doing?” Liam was scruffier than Niall remembered, but his eyes were spot on in his memory. A rich brown that exuded warmth, and Niall was a little bit helpless already.

“I’m good, Niall-- Am I saying that right? Niall?”

“Yeah, just like the river.”

Liam smiled as he pulled out the barstool next to him and slid into it.

“Sorry I’m a bit late, still trying to figure out how to time my Tube rides. You need another pint?”

“Sure. So, where do you live?” Niall asked, as Liam signaled to the bartender that they needed two more pints.

“Camden. Not too far from the Camden Town stop, actually.”

Niall barely resisted banging his face on to the bar table. Instead he groaned and shook his head. “You literally live right by me. I’m so stupid, should have asked you where you lived before I suggested a place.”

Liam just shook his head with a smile. “Mate, it’s alright. It’s good practice for me, learning how to navigate and all that. We can take the Tube back together, yeah?”

The bartender set the two pints down in front of them, and Niall took a long drink before answering. “Could be awkward if this date doesn’t go well though, you know. Err, this is a date right?”

“God, yes. I mean, if you’re comfortable with that, well. I was kinda hoping, after I saw you at the station, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I was annoying my flatmate Louis with all my nattering on about it. He was the one who suggested the Craigslist thing, didn’t think you would actually see it, I mean, who even goes onto Craigslist anymore?”

“You’re lucky my flatmate is one of those weirdos who still looks through Craigslist when he’s bored at work. What do you do in London that leaves time for Craigslist posts? Professional rescuer of idiots who fall on the Tube?”

Liam laughed and Niall couldn’t help how pleased he felt, seeing Liam laugh. It turned Liam’s whole soulful, doe-eyed look into something much more sweet and adorable. Niall loved it.

“Nah, I’m a fireman. Was heading home after a night shift.”

Niall nearly choked on his mouthful of beer. “You serious?”

“Erm, yeah, why?”

“Not trying to be funny, but if there was any type of person I’d expect to help a fallen commuter out, it’d be a fireman. You like living up to the stereotypes, then?”

Liam shrugs. “Not a bad stereotype to live up to, if I’m being honest. Where do you work?”

“The White Cube, on Mason’s Yard.”

“What is The White Cube, then?”

“An art gallery. Contemporary art. All a bit strange, really.”

“You work at an art gallery? Sick! What do you do there?”

“Keep track of finances, spend most of my day on the phone with the other White Cube locations, honestly. There’s one in Bermondsey, that’s South London, one in Hong Kong, and one in São Paulo.” Niall drains the rest of his pint, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “It’s just up the street from here, actually.”

“Seriously? We should go!”

“Like, tonight?”

“Yeah! We’re both done with our pints, and it’s so close. If you want to, of course.”

Niall thought quickly about it. He liked Liam; and he was having a good time chatting with him and he wasn’t really ready to go home yet. It was a no-brainer, really. “Sure, haven’t actually been to work just for fun in a long time.”

Liam picked up the tab, with much protesting from Niall, but Liam was stubborn in his insistence and Niall could tell he wasn’t going to win out so he let it happen. It was a chilly evening, even though it was already nearly June, so Niall pulled his jacket tighter around himself and zipped up the front as they headed down Duke Street towards Mason’s Yard.

“So how did you get into art?”

Niall shrugged. “By accident, really. I did English at uni, because I wasn’t totally sure what I wanted to do, then I took an art history elective class and, well, I was good at it. Sometimes it’s easiest to be passionate about the things you’re good at. So I switched to the Art History course, got my degree and here I am. I like working for the arts.”

“Do you do any art yourself?”

Niall couldn’t help but cackle. “Nah, can barely draw a stick figure. I’m better at knowing a lot about other people’s art, I suppose. Ah, here it is.”

“This is it?”

“Yup. When I say White Cube, I mean the name of the building, and a literal descriptor of it. C’mon, I can get us in for free,” Niall said with a wink.

**

“So what are we looking at right now?”

Liam was standing so close to Niall as they examined the exhibit, Niall could feel the warmth radiating off him, and hear the sound of his even breathing in the silence of the mostly deserted exhibit. There was only one other person in the room: a young girl with an open notebook and a pen. A student, most likely.

“It appears to be a flat box and a weird, pointed 3D shape.” Niall said dryly, hoping for a reaction. He was rewarded with a small laugh and a light elbow to the side from Liam.

“Very funny, I meant, like, the exhibit. What’s it called?”

“It’s Die Traumdeutung 25,31m AMSL by Miroslaw Balka.”

“What on earth is that?”

Most of the time Niall felt a bit awkward talking about work stuff with potential dates, or even friends. The truth was, Niall was good at his job, and he loved it. He liked the art and it was easy for him to excel at it. Niall knew what kind of ideas people had about art-- boring and pretentious, being a couple of them, so generally he preferred to stay quiet on the nitty gritty of it. Liam seemed different, however. Eager, somehow, like he was actually curious and not just placating Niall, so he pressed on.

“The Interpretation of Dreams. It’s the original German title of Sigmund Freud’s book, and the number is the exact geographical height above sea level of the gallery. We’re running it in conjunction with an exhibition at the Freud Museum.”

“So then, what does it mean?”

“It’s complicated, I guess. The trapezohedron is open on one side, see?”

“So you actually know the name of the weird pointed shape, then? You’re just full of surprises, aren’t you?”

“Only because it’s my job, honestly.” Niall shrugged off the compliment, but secretly was tickled about it, and hoped that his cheeks hadn’t gone even redder. He wondered if it was too early in the date to hold hands. “Wanna check out the basement exhibit?”

Liam and Niall looked over the rest of the gallery, Niall making comments where he felt necessary, like to tell Liam that he got to participate in whistling the theme tune for The Great Escape for the audio exhibit. When they finally left The White Cube it was even colder than it was before, and if Niall leaned into Liam a bit more than necessary, well, he couldn’t be blamed. Liam was warm and smelled nice, like some spicy and probably expensive cologne.

They chatted comfortably on the way back, and Liam made sure to point out the steps where Niall had fallen.

“What happened that morning, anyways?”

“Just running late, I was so scatterbrained I just lost footing and nose-dived. Bit embarrassing, but it could have been worse. Could have passed out or something.”

Liam started laughing so hard, he was nearly doubled over with it. Niall chuckled lightly and waited for Liam’s laughter to calm down before he added: “You think it’s funny now, but it’s actually horrible. Someone had to call the medics and everything.”

Liam stopped in his tracks. “Wait, wait, you mean that _actually_ happened to you? You passed out on the Tube?”

Without thinking, Niall grabbed Liam’s hand to tug him back into motion. “Yeah, like right after I moved to London. It was complicated, really more of a second date type story.”

“Second date, huh?” Liam squeezed Niall’s hand, and Niall hadn’t even realized they were still holding hands, but Liam made no move to pull away, so Niall just squeezed back gently.

“If you’ll have me.”

“I guess you’re in luck, I was just wandering around looking for a cute blond to whisk away.”

“How lucky, I was just waiting around, hoping an attractive man with a Prince Charming complex would come and sweep me off my feet.”

Liam bumped his hip into Niall’s with a laugh. “Cheeky.”

They held hands on the short ride from Euston to Camden Town, until they were out on the street again.

“I’ve got to head up Camden Street,” Liam said. “Which way are you going?”

“Going further down towards Pratt. Guess we’ve got to part ways now.”

“So, do I get a kiss for rescuing you? I mean, what would have happened if I hadn’t been there to save you?”

Inside Niall felt like he could go a bit weak-kneed any second. Liam was still holding his hand, and Niall felt warm and happy, and this was exactly how he wanted their night to end.

“Probably would have died, Liam. Would have been trampled by heartless commuters. Kiss me, my hero,” Niall said as he pretended to swoon.

They were both laughing when Liam leaned in and pressed their lips together, just a chaste touch of lips. When Liam pulled away Niall tugged him back in quickly, this time opening their mouths so Niall could taste just the faintest hint of bitter beer in Liam’s mouth. This time when Liam pulled away, Niall let him go.

“I had a great time tonight, Niall. I’d love to do it again. Can I text you?”

“I’d be upset if you didn’t, to be honest.”

“Goodnight, then.”

“Bye, Liam.”

As Niall walked down Camden Street, his hand still warm where Liam was holding it, lips still tingling where Liam had kissed him, he had to be grateful for his clumsiness. Sometimes some good came from it.

**

About three months later, Niall was running late for work again, because a certain someone wasn’t able to keep his hands to himself in the shower. His hands were too busy grabbing Niall’s slippery hips and rutting into the soft curve of his bum rather than actually washing up.

And well, Niall is only human, and mutual masturbation in the shower with his boyfriend seemed like a great way to start the morning. Only now he was being forced to rush through the worst part of his day again. He pushed through the crowds of people, up the steps at Euston towards the Victoria line, going so quickly he misjudged the size of the step, and his foot slipped off the edge. He would have gone down hard on one knee if it wasn’t for the sturdy pair of arms that quickly wrapped around his waist.

“Niall, slow down, the Victoria isn’t even here yet.”

Niall patted Liam’s hands clasped around him. “Thanks, Leemo.”

Liam rearranged them so Niall was tucked under one of his arms, away from the brunt force of the rushing commuters. He placed a quick kiss on Niall’s temple and together they soldiered on, fighting through the crowd together.

**Author's Note:**

> The White Cube is a [real](http://whitecube.com/exhibitions/miroslaw_balka_die_traumdeutung_2531m_amsl_masons_yard_2014/) place, and the exhibit described is really showing there right now.


End file.
